Brief summary:
The book starts with the wedding of Ona and Jurgis. In this chapter, the acziavimas is talked about a lot. It is a dance where the guests rotate in a circle around the bride, and each male guest dances with the bride and is supposed to drop money in the hat being held by Ona's stepmother, Teta Elzbieta. Many guests, however, do not give any money but instead they take advantage of the food offered to them. The saloon-keeper, for example, steals some alcohol and claims that the guests drank it. We also see that barmen are not people who should be argued with because they are often connected with powerful district politicians somehow. By the end of the ceremony, Ona has been worrying about the cost of the wedding, but Jurgis promises that he will work even harder and earn more money.
passages:
"Ona was blue-eyed and fair....confound all prophets, before and after" (2).
"Gradually there was a separation.... for working purposes" (3).
"Now he is in his glory...their music, the music of home" (6).
"Your hands are slippery....the cut may heal, but you can never tell" (11).
"Ona was kept up by her excitement.... the soul of Marija alone was unconquered" (14).
"'You shall not go to Brown's today, little one.... I will work harder" (21).
The book starts with the wedding of Ona and Jurgis. In this chapter, the acziavimas is talked about a lot. It is a dance where the guests rotate in a circle around the bride, and each male guest dances with the bride and is supposed to drop money in the hat being held by Ona's stepmother, Teta Elzbieta. Many guests, however, do not give any money but instead they take advantage of the food offered to them. The saloon-keeper, for example, steals some alcohol and claims that the guests drank it. We also see that barmen are not people who should be argued with because they are often connected with powerful district politicians somehow. By the end of the ceremony, Ona has been worrying about the cost of the wedding, but Jurgis promises that he will work even harder and earn more money.
characters: Jurgis, Ona, Teta Elzbieta, Marija, Grandmother Majauszkiene, Tamoszius Kuszleika, Valentinavyczia, Dede Antanas, Jokubas Szedvilas, Juozas Racqius, Alena Jasaityte, Aniele
passages:
"Ona was blue-eyed and fair....confound all prophets, before and after" (2).
"Gradually there was a separation.... for working purposes" (3).
"Now he is in his glory...their music, the music of home" (6).
"Your hands are slippery....the cut may heal, but you can never tell" (11).
"Ona was kept up by her excitement.... the soul of Marija alone was unconquered" (14).
"'You shall not go to Brown's today, little one.... I will work harder" (21).